Filling connection for a gas bottle valve

ABSTRACT

A filling connection has an actuating element and a discharge connection on the valve body of the gas cylinder valve. In addition to the discharge connection a filling union is provided on the valve body. The filling union extends in its longitudinal direction, and actuating element are arranged opposite the discharge connection and at the side on the valve body. Preferred embodiments include having the discharge connection and the filling union arranged at right angles to one another on the valve body.

This invention relates to a filling connection for gas cylinder valvesaccording to the pre-characterizing features of claim 1.

Such a filling connection for gas cylinder valves is known from DE-GM 9115 142. A filling connection is to be made for gas cylinder valves,especially of acetylene cylinders, with which a safe connection can beproduced and undone again rapidly and reliably even by non-technicalpeople, since the fitting position of the filling connection has to becarefully controlled with usual filling connections, which can be reallycomplicated and troublesome for lay persons. Accordingly, in this stateof the art a clamp-like connector coupling is provided, in which ismounted a cylinder valve connection piston sleeve, biased in thedirection of a fitting ring.

After connection to the cylinder valve, the filling passage through thehousing or valve body is opened up. However, after connecting thefilling coupling on to the connection union, which later serves also asthe discharge connection, the gas cylinder valve must additionally beopened by the handwheel normally provided as the actuating element, andmust be closed again after the filling. As well as actuating the fillingcoupling, at least two further manual operations are necessary, which isvery time-consuming in series filling.

Accordingly the invention is based on the object of providing a fillingconnection for gas cylinder valves with which the filling can be speededup.

This object is met by a filling connection having an actuating elementand a discharge connection on the valve body of the gas cylinder valve,wherein in addition to the discharge connection a filling union isprovided on the valve body. The filling union extends in itslongitudinal direction, and actuating element are arranged opposite thedischarge connection and at the side on the valve body. Preferredembodiments include having the discharge connection and the fillingunion arranged at right angles to one another on the valve body.Preferably the filling union is disposed vertically. Preferably aspring-biased check valve is fitted in the discharge connection andblocks in the filling direction. In a further preferred variation of theabove combinations, the discharge connection and the filling union eachopen into a separate or a common through bore in the valve body. Thedischarge connection and filling union are preferably formed in onepiece with the valve body, and the filling union is preferably fitted inthe valve body, especially screwed in. Further, the filling unionpreferably has an outer annular groove for engagement of a fillingcoupling. Preferably, the filling union has a company/user specific formfor coding, matched to the corresponding filling coupling being used.Moreover, at least one valve, in particular a spring-biased check valve,is preferably fitted in the filling union and blocks in the dischargedirection. In the above combinations, the filling union can be coupledto a filling station capable of being automated. Further, the fillingstation preferably comprises a multiple filling coupling forsimultaneous filling of a plurality of gas cylinders. Finally, in theabove combinations the filling union preferably has the same outerdimensions and external shape as the discharge connection.

Through the arrangement of a separate, upwardly pointing filling unionon the gas cylinder valve, in addition to the discharge connection onthe side, a quick connection coupling can be fitted as the fillingcoupling, while the handwheel of the gas cylinder valve does not have tobe opened separately for the filling. A separate gas filling passage isthus created, which is essentially independent of the discharge passage,while both passages can also open into a common through bore, beingseparated however in terms of flow technology both during the fillingoperation and also during discharge operation, in particular by checkvalves connected in opposition to one another.

A substantial advantage here is that the handwheel arranged on the sideof the gas cylinder valve does not have to be opened for the filling,nor does it have to be closed again at the end of the filling operation.Two working steps are thus saved, so that the filling of gas cylindersis substantially speeded up. This applies in particular to automatedfilling by robots, since the upwardly pointing filling union is alsooptimally accessible in a tightly packed gas cylinder pallet.

Simultaneous filling of a plurality of gas cylinders by means of amultiple filling coupling is also possible through this, e.g. twelve gascylinders on a pallet at a time, on to which the multiple fillingcoupling with twelve filling couplings can fitted from above. Thefilling operation can be substantially speeded up by this.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

An embodiment will be described and explained in more detail below withreference to the drawing.

FIG. 1 shows a schematic illustration of a gas cylinder.

A gas cylinder valve 1 is shown schematically in FIG. 1, with ahandwheel as actuating element 2 and a valve body 3. The valve body 3 ofthe gas cylinder valve 1 is attached to a gas cylinder 10 (e.g. foracetylene, oxygen, carbon dioxide, hydrogen or the like) in the usualway, by a screw connection.

A side discharge connection 4 is formed on the valve body 3, preferablyin one piece therewith, with a suitable threaded connectioncorresponding to the standard for the gas in question. A spring-biasedcheck valve 5 is arranged within the discharge connection 4 and onlyallows gas discharge in the accordance with the arrow shown, beingblocked however in the opposite (filling) direction.

In accordance with the invention, a separate filling union 6 is arrangedon the valve body 3, preferably at right angles to the dischargeconnection 4. The filling union 6 can be screwed into the valve body 3as a separate component or equally, as shown, be formed in one piecewith the valve body 3, like the discharge connection 4. An annulargroove 6 a is formed in the outer wall of the upwardly pointing fillingunion 6, in which the detent elements 8 a of a filling coupling 8 whichcan be fitted from above can at connected.

The filling coupling 8 is preferably formed as a plug-in coupling withcollet jaws according to EP-A 0 340 879 or DE-A 3 518 019, sinceappropriate safety provisions for filling gas cylinders are providedwith these quick connection couplings of the applicant. However a detentball coupling for an external profile or even if desired an innerengagement profile can optionally be used as the filling coupling 8, asis basically known from hydraulic connectors.

A spring-biased check valve 7 is also arranged in the filling union 6,namely in the bore shown in broken lines within the filling union 6. Thefilling union 6 also opens into a through bore 9 like the dischargeconnection 4, which bore communicates with the gas cylinder 10. A valvespool, not shown here, is arranged in the region of the through bore 9and can be brought into the closed or open position by means of thehandwheel 2.

In the open position of the valve spool, the through bore 9 communicateswith the discharge connection 4, so that gas can be discharged, whilethe filling union 6 is de-coupled by the check valve 7. After the gascylinder 10 has largely been emptied, the gas cylinder valve 1 is closedby means of the handwheel 2 and then taken to the filling operation.However filling can also take place on site, e.g. from a tanker vehicle,where the filling coupling 8 is likewise fitted on to the filling union6 from above and the gas cylinder 10 in question is filled.

The valve spool 2 a stays closed in this filling operation, so that thehandwheel 2 no longer has to be operated, in contrast to the knowndevices; in particular the handwheel 2 does not have to be operated inthe opposite direction after completion of the filling operation. Ratherit is only necessary for the filling coupling 8 to be taken off. The gaslines attached to the discharge connection 4 can even remain attachedwhen filling on site.

The filling union 6 preferably also has a company and/or user specificform, so that only correspondingly matching filling couplings 8 can beattached. This ensures that only authorised persons can undertake thefilling of the gas cylinder 10.

Filling through the discharge connection 4 is also securely avoidedthrough the spring-biased check valve 5 provided in the side dischargeconnection 4.

In addition it is made possible through this check valve 5 for the gascylinder to maintain a certain residual pressure, as is required foroperation of various installations or is desirable to avoid entry of airinto the gas cylinder 10. Time-consuming evacuation of the gas cylinder10 when refilling is thereby avoided.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The filling operation can moreover be largely automated, since theupwardly pointing filling union 6 is readily accessible, in particularboth for manual handling devices and robots, with which the: fillingcoupling 8 can be fitted on from above. A multiple filling station canalso be used, in which the individual filling couplings 8 are suspendedin that raster in which the gas cylinders 10 are fixed on a pallet.

1. A filling connection for gas cylinder valves having an actuatingelement and a discharge connection on the valve body of the gas cylindervalve, comprising a filling union provided on a valve body in additionto the discharge connection, wherein the discharge connection andfilling union are formed in one piece with the valve body, the fillingunion extending along a longitudinal axis of the filling union and beingadapted to be coupled to a filling station capable of being automated,wherein the actuating element is arranged opposite the dischargeconnection and at a side of the valve body, and wherein the dischargeconnection and the filling union each open into a separate through borein the valve body.
 2. The filling connection according to claim 1,wherein the discharge connection and the filling union are arranged atright angles to one another on the valve body.
 3. The filling connectionaccording to claim 1, wherein a spring-biased check valve is fitted inthe discharge connection so as to block gas flow in the fillingdirection.
 4. The filling connection according to claims 1, wherein thefilling union has an outer annular groove for engagement of a fillingcoupling.
 5. The filling connection according to claim 1, wherein atleast one valve is fitted in the filling union and adapted to block gasflow in the discharge direction.
 6. The filling connection according toclaim 1, wherein the filling union has the same outer dimensions andexternal shape as the discharge connection.